As a dental hygienist, first browse the user-friendly Top 10 List of Updated Internet Tipsbelow. Later browse the associated webpage DH Links where you can find out about Career and Schools, Associations, and Patient Information, as well as Research and other related Healthcare Pages; this Guide is cited on ADHAs Important Links on their Resource Page ~ Under 'Sites by Dental Hygienists’. See also an article on Webinars for CE by Margaret.

1. Use History to Revisit Sites. Use the History to revisit old sites and save yourself from remembering long Web addresses (or URLs) or even where you were five minutes ago! HINTS To see a list of all Internet addresses you have typed during this session, click the small down arrow at the right end of the Address bar. This can be cleared when you clear History under Tools and Internet Options.

2. Save Time with Favorites/Bookmarks. Web addresses (or URLs) can be unwieldy. Worse, if you type it wrong, you will get an error message. To avoid these problems, save the addresses of sites you want to revisit. Go to the Favorites/Bookmarks menu and select Organize Favorites/Bookmarks menu. Now you can click on the Folder icon to create a new folder, then drag the appropriate Favorites/Bookmarks into the folder.

3. Change Favorites/Bookmarks Names. Sometimes the names of the Favorites/Bookmarks are not clear, so you may want to alter them.Select Organize Favorites/Bookmarks menu, then click on the Favorite/Bookmark you want to change, then click the Rename button. Now you can type a new name. After you are done organizing your Favorites/Bookmarks, close the window to return to your Browser. The next time you select the Favorites/Bookmarks menu, you will see all the topic names with arrows next to them. By holding your cursor over a topic, you will get pop-up list of all the related FavoritesBookmarks. HINTS When you add a webpage to your Favorites/Bookmarks list, you also make it available to read when you are not connected to the Internet such as when traveling. You can also send a webpage or its Web address (URL) in email by clicking the File menu, pointing to Send, and then clicking Page By Email.

4. Use Find feature. Once you have downloaded a document, the Find icon can quickly locate a particular term in which you are interested. Why take the time to scroll through the entire document?

5. Pick Two Search Engines. The difficulty of finding specific information is by far the biggest complaint. Although dozens of search engines are available, pick two, then take the time to learn them well. You can also put them on your Desktop (see below).

6. Choose and Customize Homepage. Yourdefault homepage is launched when you open your Web Browser but you can change it. HINTS Web pictures and backgrounds make great Desktop wallpaper. Just right-click the picture you want, and then click Set as Wallpaper. You can quickly put a shortcut to any webpage on your Desktop by right-clicking in the page and then clicking Create Shortcut.

7. Adjust Text Size. Different text sizes are available for better viewing for tired dental professional eyes!

8. Organize Your Desktop. Clear your virtual desktop once and awhile just as you do your real time worktop. Dust off your brain by dusting off your view! See below for more real time worktop declutter. Just because we work in cubicles, does not mean we live there. We have to pay our taxes too and support various causes! HINTS Put a restful picture on your virtual desktop and also on your real time worktop. Change often! A great quote on your desktop saver is great too.

9. Get the Fastest Connection and Best Hardware. Your time is valuable and you will want to upgrade and update but be a careful consumer and read the fine print on contract commitment; also read the reviews on the Internet of the desired service or hardware (type in name and word "review").

10. Have Fun! Let the path of information lead you to new vistas, even outside dentistry, to make you a more interesting person to your peers and patients alike! And save everything by being in the Cloud and using Dropbox for file transfers since fun has to be archived too.

Real Time Tips to Declutter Both Your Real Time Worktop and Virtual Desktop Messes!

1. Place the items you use most within reach

• Create a semi-circle around you when seated at your desk to use optimal space.

• Take into account if you are left or right handed and place objects on your desk accordingly.

• Use vertical space to your advantage so install shelves or bulletin boards above your desk to maximize the vertical space near your work space.

2. Less clutter = More productivity; so set time aside to organize

• Decide what you should keep, donate, throw away or put somewhere else.

• Create zones to store similar items and categories together.

• Take measurements and stick to using containers that you know will fit in your zones.

3. Think paperless; so organize digital clutter too

• Set up a desktop scanner and start using virtual notebooks.

• Syncing files to the cloud is key; privacy NOW is in a pyramid-leveled password method. Use a three word phrase password overall and only let the top sites use it such as email; break it down to two of three words of the phrase for the second level that have access to your money accounts, and leave the lowest level of one word to the everyday sites. And combine letters with at least one number for best passwords. Or get a password creatorapp and keep only one main password under their password umbrella.

• 'Net M@nners'- Learn the rules of communication on the Internet before implementing the technology. For example, using CAPITAL letters in a message is considered YELLING.

• Be careful when using sarcasm and humor. Without face to face communications your joke may be viewed as criticism.

• Keep paragraphs and messages short and to the point. When quoting another person, edit out whatever is not directly applicable to your reply. Be professional and careful what you say about others.

• Email is easily forwarded. Note that Cc: (stands for "Carbon Copy", which is meaningful if you remember typewriters) This header is sort of an extension of "To:"; it specifies additional recipients; Bcc: (stands for "Blind Carbon Copy"). The idea for Bcc is to be able to send copies of email to persons who might not want to receive replies or to appear in the headers. And be careful when replying and do not quickly use Reply All!

• Focus on one subject per message. Always include a pertinent subject title for the message, that way the user can locate the message quickly.

• Answer emails point by point. This will ensure clarity and unnecessary back and forth in professional communications. But you do not have to answer to any point, if not desired.

• Set up a signature. Should when sending professional correspondence include your dental office name or position, address, fax, email, etc. This information will be automatically added to every email you send, giving your correspondence a professional look. You can cut off the signature when not involved in professional correspondence. SeeBest Sigs.

•Puhleez use an automatiс

spell checker.

•Messages stored in the Spamfolder should be regularly monitored as real mail may be incorrectly identified as Spam.

Once a message is deleted from the Spam folder, it cannot be recovered unless you have made appropriate backup mechanism like a Time Machine.